Sarasota call center plans to hire 150

Thursday

Aug 29, 2013 at 11:05 PM

By MICHAEL POLLICK

APAC Customer Services Inc. said Thursday it will add more than 150 temporary positions to its Sarasota payroll in the next few months, as it gears up for a client that prepares income tax returns and advertises heavily.

With a current payroll of about 300, the new jobs would represent a 50 percent expansion for the firm, formerly known as Protocol Global Solutions.

“They are temporary positions, which we hope to convert to permanent positions as we secure other clients,” said Cristin Cain, general manager of APAC's Sarasota office.

Pay will range “from $9.50 an hour to upwards of $15 an hour, depending on the position,” Cain said. Fifteen dollars would be what a temporary manager makes, he said.

The temporary seasonal workers will not receive benefits, he said.

Once someone becomes a “regular employee,” they qualify for benefits after an initial 90-day period. The benefits include health, dental and vision insurance, Cain said.

The company hopes to hire both English and bilingual, Spanish-speaking workers.

Cain said the company is in the midst of making room for more workers. Its building now has room for 525, but he is awaiting a city permit that would allow more desks.

“Our total capacity will go to 620,” Cain said.

All 525 seats were occupied earlier this year, Cain said, before a planned scaling back occurred in mid-July that was caused by a client's seasonal needs.

The company signed a 10-year lease at Pen West last fall, said Mike Caldwell, a commercial real estate broker at the office park.

In April of 2012, when it was known as Protocol Global, the company announced it would move to L-3 Communications' massive Cattlemen Road site, but the company later dropped that plan in favor of staying at Pen West.

Under its current corporate structure, APAC is one of two main operating units of Expert Global Solutions, based in Plano, Texas. The other primary operating company, NCO, does collection work.

Expert Global Solutions has 100 locations in 12 countries and employs 42,000 people, according to its website.